1 Peter 1:18
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.
A couple weeks ago I wrote of conversion as a journey of deepening faith based on a selection from Sue Monk Kidd's book, God's Little Surprise. Today, the Lenten calendar calls us to consider the word journey again. I looked up the definition of journey and found a variety of meanings. We generally think of a journey as traveling from one place to another, perhaps over time. It is a matter of location. But the fourth definition concerns time-travel in terms of a spiritual location, a passage from one state of being to another. This is how we FAITH JOURNEY.
This weekend we have journeyed to Bisbee, AZ for my birthday celebration. A Bisbee Birthday Bash I have called it. Birthdays mark the passage of time. Do birthdays also mark the passage of consciousness, the evolving of who we are in terms of our relationship to God? Bisbee itself is a journey back in time or a journey forward. I'm not sure quite how one describes this very historical, yet quirky, artsy, hippie-induced community. As we wander the artwalk streets today, I shall search for evidence of God, I shall walk with a consciousness of God's presence....in the people, the experience, and the place. Addendum....at one of our first stops today, we walked back into the back room of a dusty antique store. I wasn't even going to stay at this shop, but Rick had gone on in and was looking around. The first book I saw on a shelf had the following title: The Journey Toward God. Somehow I just felt it was a God-moment and a book I needed to purchase. I'll let you know how it reads.
Sunday, Mar 15 Fasting: No Snacks Today
Tobit 12:8 CEB
Prayer with fasting is good, and so is giving to the poor with righteousness. The possession of a little with righteousness is better than much with injustice.
Today is another Lenten Fast day, with the objective of no between-meal snacks. Three meals. That's all. Again, what's the purpose of fasting? To focus on God and our relationship with God. Since I have used the more popular fast scriptures from Matthew, I went to the Old Testament and found an apocryphal scripture from Tobit. The Apocrypha is the portion of Old Testament canon used in Catholic and Orthodox churches but not Protestant. Tobit was written during the 2nd century BC. with an emphasis on 'doing good' in terms of alms-giving, etc. I should be able to withstand snacks today. We are eating lunch out with the SOOPs at a Chinese restaurant and then meeting Mike Virga at 4 at Cafe Passe on 4th St. He called last night apologizing for not seeing us again and he heads out to work again tomorrow for 8 days. We were touched by his desire to see us!
I haven't drawn a mandala yet on this trip, so decided I was due. Obviously desert inspired!
Monday, Mar 16 Service: Give Flowers to Another
Luke 6:38 MSG
Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing.
The Message version of this speaks of giving away our life, others just translate give and it will come back to you. I like the thought that it matters not WHAT we give, if we are giving something of ourselves to another person - that's what counts. For many recipients, WHAT the gift is doesn't really matter. It is the realization that someone was thinking of them and cared enough to express it in a tangible way. I actually did the service portion for today last Monday. I made my recycled paper flowers and placed them in the CHRPA office on the computer keyboards of the three office ladies, often the unrecognized and under-appreciated part of the CHRPA team. I did not sign the note that simply expressed thanks for all they do to make CHRPA such a special place.
I think I will draw another mandala today and give away flowers of the desert in my prayers!
Tuesday, Mar 17 Prayer: SERVICE
Romans 15: 1-2 MSG
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and
lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for
us. Strength is for service, not
status. Each one of us needs to look
after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, ‘How can I help?’
We who have
much cannot isolate ourselves in our plenty and ignore the world around
us. I really like Peterson’s translation
of this verse: Strength is for service,
not status. The point is that the
needs of the community, the strength of the community, hinges on the strength
of the weak. This adage applies in many
situations and the Christian community is one.
The global community is affected.
The strength we have as a nation, the freedoms we enjoy, are not ours to
coddle in isolation, but tools to use for the benefit of the whole world. Service.
How can I help? A good question
to ask….everyday.
Wednesday, March
18 Fast: Water Only
John 4:14 MSG
Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and
again. Anyone who drinks the water I
give will never thirst – not ever. The
water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless
life.’
Back to
another ‘water-only’ fast day, which doesn’t mean I can only have water today,
just that my drink of choice should be water (in lieu of soda, etc.)
But I liked
the opportunity to ponder once again about life-giving water. Margaret Atwood wrote the following
selections about water in The Penelopiad:
Water does not resist. Water flows.
When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop
you. But water always goes where it
wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone.
When we take the leap of faith
and dive into the living water of faith in the love of God, do we feel a
caress? Do we feel empowered by a love
that is unstoppable? God is
persistent. Is God’s love slowly eroding
away the stone of our hearts? It is a
rare day in the Arizona desert – rain is falling. Drops of God-love to wash us clean,
rejuvenate us, and fill us with the living water of God.
THURSDAY, March
19
SERVICE: Draw a picture to give to someone.
Matthew 5:45 MSG
This is what God does…He gives his best….to everyone, regardless.
Today I am working on a couple
of CHRPA drawings to GIVE to the office for use however they wish. One is a mandala. The other a cartoonish Saguaro cactus CHRPA
worker ready to give assistance to some young cacti that are drowning,
sweltering, falling, etc. in a home that
needs repair. I’m afraid the gift won’t
get given today, but I’m working on it! 
Currently
my drawings, both prayer and otherwise, seem to be my ‘best’ – a gift God has
given to me to share with others. I can
hammer and cut, screw in decking screws, etc. adequately and be helpful, but
that isn’t what I am necessarily good at (but getting better!). God wants us to take the best within us and
use it in service to others. What is
your best? Are you using it for
God? Am I?
FRIDAY, March 20 Prayer:
FRIENDSHIP
2 Corinthians 13:14
MSG
The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of
God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
What does it mean to be in an intimate friendship, where
you are able to speak without words, to understand through a touch, to
empathize with sincerity? What does it
mean to be in such a friendship with the Almighty Creator of the Universe
through the presence of the Holy Spirit?
What does it mean to know that God, who can cover the expanse of
infinity in the blink of an eye, loves ME – individually and specifically? Such a friendship is absolutely mindboggling,
yet that is what we have been given.
SATURDAY, March
21 Prayer: CREATOR GOD
Romans 1:25 CEB They traded God’s truth for a lie, and they
worshipped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is blessed
forever.
Another ‘prayer’ day today as I am
skipping my Lenten calendar recommendation for simple home meals. We are visiting Jed and I KNOW we will be
eating out at least once! Not simple!
So I have
chosen the word CREATOR GOD to ponder today as we take a hike in the realm of God’s
glory. It seems many people admire,
love, enjoy the nature beauty of our world without stopping to give thanks and
praise for the ONE who made it all. The
two seem to go hand in hand with Rick and I.
When we hike and witness moments of God-glory (which is frequently!) the
‘thank you, God’ escapes from our lips.
As it should! Sometimes the hike
itself becomes a series of constant prayer: of praise and thanksgiving, for
safety and protection, and awe and wonder!
We hiked today in San Lorenzo Canyon, just north of Socorro. A few of my God-moment entries to help describe the Creator God include: sunlight through the cottonwood leaf
hundreds of yard away from the tree; a clump of tiny pink flowers marking the
top of a difficult patch of ‘trail’; faces in the rocks smiling down as me;
colorful patches of lichens; new growth on desert plants; helping hands over
the ‘big steps’; hoodoos, mini slot canyons, and weathering lines sculpting
stone; sand patterns on the stone. At
one point we found a nice bridge of gray stone connecting our path. I said thanks to whoever made such a nice
span. Jed simply said, ‘God did. It’s his bridge.’ Good words to remember. GOD-words.
Copyright Traci Smith 2015 www.traci-smith.com LENTEN PRACTICES CALENDAR FOR FAMILIES: These activities are based around the traditional 'Three Pillars' of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving or Service. The pillars are rotated throughout Lent with simple activities. On the prayer days, use the word provided to inspire a prayer you write, draw, or sing. All of the activities are suggestions. Modify as necessary or desired!
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